September 06, 2010

'The Power Of Who' (Heading Out East For Six Weeks)

I'm gutted right now, blogger has been the biggest pain in the ass and this posting should have taken five minutes and I've been here for hours! No more time to waste, it's a jumbled mess at the bottom and I apologize that I can't fix it right now...

First and foremost though, I'm off to San Fran and then Yosemite to attend the Montrail - Mountain Hardwear Athlete Innovation Conference, this Tuesday till Saturday!! I'm STOKED, and with no internet or phone service it's an even sweeter getaway. Our days will be filled with a perfect mix of product and playtime.

With the list of attendees basically reading like a who's who of the world's top adventure athletes, I kinda feel like I managed to sneak in the back door on this one! Hey, I'll be the waterboy if that's what it takes to sit in the same room as these legends...

Do you know that key relationships have been specifically placed to help you in ways you never imagined? Do you realize there are special people who are not just happenstance acquaintances but strategic relationships to help you find the life of your dream? Have you missed the simplicity behind this mysterious thing called DESTINY? Perhaps the real problem of finding your dream isn't about who you don't know, but whom you've neglected.

About a month back I happened across an excerpt from a book entitled, "The Power Of Who, You Already Know Everyone You Need To Know". I have yet to read the book but the premise intrigued me. Basically it suggests that you're going to get further in life by tapping into your current resource pool rather than continually searching amongst strangers and in anonymity. 'It's not what you know but who you know'. A very simple strategy that in our current social media age can often get easily overlooked.

Long story short here, I was looking to land a second job, part-time, for about the next eight weeks. Since I'm taking a break (Brett Favre style retirement) from my current second job, that being training and racing, I figured I could set myself up nicely for 2011 by getting a few extra dollars in the bank.

Referring back to what I had briefly read and contemplated via this book, I decided to simply put it out there via Facebook and Twitter. To see what might come back to me, to not be afraid to openly admit what I was looking for and see who might have a connection to offer.

A few options presented themselves and it looked like I was going to land the complimentary job that I was searching for. Then a text from a friend arrived.

Chad Ulansky is a very talented and accomplished athlete and I first met him at Raid The North Extreme in Prince Rupert in 2007, and have since gotten to know him through ultra running in BC. In 09 we ran together for the better part of 2/3 of our local Knee Knacker 50k race and he still holds one of the highest ever placings for a Canadian at Marathon Des Sables, finishing 16th back in 03.

The text basically said 'Hey, I've got a six week project that we could use you on if you're available'.

After inquiring more and seeing what a great opportunity I had in front of me I figured I had nothing to loose by requesting a leave of absence from my primary job at North Shore Athletics. North Van is my home and NSA is my second home, I couldn't and wouldn't do anything to jeopardize that set up. I expected nothing and was pleasantly surprised to find out that it had all fallen into place. I depart next Monday!!

The job is basically going to consist of jumping in and out of helicopters (not literally jumping, though that'd be even cooler) and collecting samples from rivers. Apparently in the approximate six week time frame we are going to cover a distance close to 2/3 the size of British Columbia!!

Undoubtedly this will be very fatiguing work with minimum 10-12hr days and working every single day for six straight weeks. Though I have done similar before, having spent a full year working in Fort St. John B.C. as a pipe fitters assistant in the oil patch. That experience taught me that the first 14 days are the worst as your body adapts to its new reality. It may have been the longest year of my life, but it's also where I truly learned the most about who I was as a person and what I could actually accomplish if I put my mind to it.

All in all, I'm looking forward to the change of scenery and to once again being forced outside on a daily basis no matter what the weather might throw at us.